Sprinkler



Patented Nov. 6, 1951 SPRINKLER Michael Joseph Holmes, Windsor,

Ontario, Canada Application September 12, 1947, Serial No. 773,567

. This invention relates to self-rotating sprinklers of the type used inwatering lawns'and golf courses and the like, and the principal objectof the invention is to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive formof self-rotating sprinkler in which the destructive wear between themoving parts will be completely eliminated and in which the sprinklerhead will rotate at a selfregulated high rate of speed to deliver alarge constant volumetric discharge of water in a fine and uniform sprayover a wide area.

' A further and important object is to provide a dynamically balancedself-rotating sprinkler which will be water lubricated and which willnormally deliver the water to the rotating head at the full capacity ofthe connected supply but which will automatically effect a reduction ofthe quantity of water delivered to the head in the event of excessivewater pressure or speeds of rotation. I v The principal feature of theinvention consists in providing a collar member adapted to be threadedon to the end of an upright supply pipe and formed with a reducedtubular extension extending into the pipe, the extension having a sealedlower end and a plurality of circumferentially spaced supply portsarranged in the wall thereof adjacent the upper end, and providing arotary sprinkler head having a tubular extension journalled in saidcollar and extending into said collar extension, the'tubular'headextension being formed with an enlarged lower end defining an annularthrust bearing shoulder arranged below the ports of the collar extensionand with circumferentially spaced supply ports arranged above'theshoulder whereby water directed inwardly through the collar ports to beconveyed to the sprinkler head through the ports of the head extensionforms an annular thrust absorbing cushion between the thrust shoulderand collar and forms a cushion between the lower end of the headextension and the sealed end of the collar extension to preventdeleterious wear between the collar and rotary head. I

A further and important feature consists in arranging the ports in thetubular sprinkler head extension to normally communicate with the portsof the collar extension but upon excessive upward movement of thesprinkler head to enter the bore of the collar journal to efiect areduction of the volume of water supplied to the head to automaticallyregulate its speed of rotation.

A still, further and important feature resides in' thevforming of theenlarged lower end of the head extension as a bearing hub journalled inthe 2 Claims. (01. 29969) 2 collar extension to increase the length ofbear-. ing between the collar and sprinkler head ensur-E ing adynamically balanced sprinkler.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of aself-rotating sprinkler embodying my invention showing the collar memberand sprinkler head removed from the upright supply tube.

Fig. 2 is a vertical mid-sectional view of the sprinkler head showingthe. head drawn outwardly to a position cutting ofi all flow to thenozzles.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the head in its normalposition of rest in the bearing collar with the ports of the head ex.-

' tension communicating with the ports in the collar extension.

In the ordinary rotary sprinkler the rotary head is journalled in thesprinkler standard and due to the upward water pressure and the verticalcomponent of the centrifugal force, moves upwardly to bring the upwardthrust limiting surface of the rotary head into frictional contactwiththe underside of the journal member. This effect produces anaggravated condition of wear between the contacting metal surfacesparticularly when sand or other abrasive material becomes lodged betweenthe Wearing surfaces thus greatly shortening the life of the sprinkler.Attempts to limit this cause of wear have resulted in very complicatedand expensive sprinkler constructions.

The present invention has been devised to overcome the abovedifliculties by providing a very simple form of sprinkler in which thewater flowing to the sprinkler head is utilized to provide a cushion onwhich the head floats or rides and which resists upward thrust of thehead.

Referring to the accompanying drawings my sprinkler illustratedcomprises a cast base frame I in which is secured an elbow 2 having athread-- ed end 3 for connection to a water supply conduit and athreaded end 4 to receive an uprighttube 5 provided with an internallythreaded upper end 6. The elbow 2 is preferably formed as an integralpart of the base casting.

Secured in the upper end of the upright tube 5 is a collar generallydesignated at 1 having a knurled enlarged end 8 adapted to abut the endof the tube 5 and having a reduced threaded portion 9 to engage thethreads of the tube end 6.

Extending downwardly from the threaded portion 9 of the collar is atubular extension In which has an inner diameter larger than thediameter of the bore l lthrough the collar end 8 and threaded portion 9to define an internal shoulder 9' and an outer diameter smaller than theinner diameter of the tube 5 to provide an annular passage l2therebetween.

The lower end of the collar extension is sealed by a disc 13 andcircumferentially spaced ports M are arranged in the wall of theextension adjacent the threaded portion 9 to provide communicationbetween the interior of the collar extension and the supply tube 5.

The rotary sprinkler head comprises a hollow head member 15 of hexagonalform provided with threaded ports 16 in which radially and upwardlyextending hollow sprinkler arms I! are secured, and arranged in the baseof the head is a threaded orifice l8 in which a tubular extension 19 issecured.

The sprinkler arms I! are preferably formed with a plurality of smalldischarge ports 20 adjacent the hollow head l and with large ports 2| atthe ends thereof, the arms being set so that the ports 2| discharge thewater in. opposing directions to provide the propelling force to rotatethe head.

The tubular extension [9 of the sprinkler head is journalled in thecollar 1' extending through the collar bore H to provide a closewatertight sliding fit therebetween, and projects downwardly within thecollar extension Ill.

The lower end of the head extension l91is enlarged at 22 to form a closesliding fit with the interior of the collar extension and to define anannular thrust. shoulder 23 arranged below the collar extension portsi4. Arranged above the annular shoulder 23 are a plurality of circum-Ierentially spaced ports 24 extending through the wall of the headextension and providing communication between the interior thereof. andthe interior of the ported collar extension.

7 Preferably the sprinkler head extension [9 is provided with a secondsmaller annular shoulder Zispacedabove the thrust shoulder 23 to providean eifective stop to limit the upward movement of the sprinkler head toprevent the shoulder 23 from moving above the collar extension ports l4and rendering the sprinkler inoperative.

V In assembling the sprinkler it is merely necessary to slip the headextension [.9 through the collar from the lower end, place and securethe sealing disc l3 in position to seal the collar extension, thread thehead [5 on to the extension is and thread the collar with the head inposition on to the end of the upright tube 5.

In operation, water from the .supply source enters the tubular collarextension through the ports 1-4 and passes through the ports 24 in .thehead extension to be delivered to the head discharge ports 20- and 2| toeffect rotation of the sprinkler through the action of the oppositelydirected water jets.

As .the water pressure and speed of the sprink-ler head increases :thehead will tend to move upwardly towards the position illustrated in Fig.2. This action is counterbalanced by the Water entering the ports I 4and filling the annular chamber formed between the annular thrustshoulder 23 of the head extension and the annular shoulder 25 defined onthe underside of the threaded .collar portion 9 by the collar bore H.Thus the upward thrust of the rotary head is cushioned .and resisted bya solid annulus of moving lubricating water between the shoulders 23 and9 and under pressure of the source to maintain the head extensionshoulder out of engagement with the underside of the collar tocompletely eliminate destructive wear between the moving parts. Thiswill be more clearly understood when it is appreciated that the chamberdefined between shoulders 23 and 9' is always in communication with thepressure source through the constant area inlet openings H, but as thehead moves upwardly the outlet openings 24 are decreasing in area.Pressure under any stable condition in the chamber defined between theseshoulders 23 and 9 may be somewhat less than the source pressure due tothe velocity through openings 14 and 24 but upon sudden upward movementof the head the pressure will tend to increase as the outlet openings 24are restricted and the water cannot readily escape therethrough.

In addition to the water cushion forming between the collar shoulder 25and the thrust shoulder. 23, it will be understood that water underpressure of the source will fiow downwardly through the openend of thehead extension and form a wide annular lubricating cushion while underpressure of the source between the underside. of the enlarged headextension end 22 and the disc 13 sealing the lower end of the-collarextension. Thus it will be understood that due to variations in pressureof the water supply the headextension will ride up and down on a doublewater cushion.

In the event that the water pressure increases and the sprinkler headreaches an excessive angular. velocity and the downward force of thewater against the thrust shoulder 23 isovercome, the. head extensionwill begin to move upwardly towards the position of Figure .2 so thatthe ports 24 therein partly enter the collar bore H reducing theeffective area of communication between the collar extension and thehead thereby creating an increased downward water pressure on the thrustshoulder to equalize the upward forceon the .head and provide a dynamicbalance. It will be noted that during upward movement of the head theexternal thrust shoulder 23 presents a constant area in unrestrictedcommunication with the chamber which in conjunction with the internalshoulder 9 it defines, and the pressure of the water annulus between theshoulders acts with a uniform pressure thrust throughout this constantarea surface.

Thus it will be seen that the sprinkler will automatically regulate itsspeed and the volume of water it discharges to maintain a dynamicbalance and the water. will be provided with a direct path from thesupply .to the sprinkler arms of the rotary head where, by thearrangement of discharge .orifices and rotational movement of the head.the water will be discharged as an even highly atomized stream or finespray over, a wide area.

It will be readily understoodlthatmy construction is very simpleenabling the sprinkler to be producedat a very low cost, and it will befurther understood thatin addition to the elimination of the destructiveupward thrust by the provision of the water cushions, the arrangementwhereby the head extensionforms a close sliding fit with the collar boreand the enlarged lower end 22 of the head extension forms a closesliding fit with the interior. of the collar extension greatly increasestheeiiective bearing length between the, head and collar furtherreducing wear to extend the life of the sprinkler indefinitely- What Iclaim as my invention is:

l. A water sprinkler comprising a base, an upright outer tube supportedby said base and having an inlet for connection to a pressure supply andan outlet, a collar arranged for closing said outlet and formed with acentral bore and a tubular extension extending into said supply tube andaligned with said bore but of a larger internal diameter to define aninternal shoulder at the upper end of said extension, said extensionbeing sealed at the lower end and formed with peripherally aligned portsin the wall thereof adjacent said collar, and a sprinkler head having atubular extension open at the lower end journalled and verticallyslidable in said collar bore and extending into said collar extensionand formed with an enlarged lower end defining an external shoulder insliding water seal with the inner wall of said collar extension belowsaid ports, said sprinkler head extension having a series ofperipherally aligned ports in the wall thereof above said externalshoulder, said internal and external shoulders forming an annularchamber between said collar and sprinkler head extensions and watersealed at the top and bottom and in lateral communication through saidports with the interiors of said upright outer tube and sprinkler head,the disposition of said sprinkler head extension ports and externalshoulder in relation to said collar extension ports being such that onupward movement of said sprinkler head extension the ports therein entersaid collar to progressively close ofi communication between saidchamber and sprinkler head while leaving said chamber in non-restrictedcommunication with said upright outer tube through said collar extensionports to present by virtue of said external shoulder a constant areathrust surface within said chamber against which water under pressure ofthe source entering unrestricted through said collar extension portsexerts its pressure to displace said sprinkler head downwardly.

2. A water sprinkler comprising a base supporting an upright tubularstandard having a threaded upper end and adapted to be connected at itslower end to a pressure water source, a threaded collar closing saidupper end and formed with a central bore and a tubular extension alignedaxially with said bore and of a larger internal diameter than said boreto define an internal annular shoulder at the upper end of saidextension, said extension projecting into said tubular standard andspaced from the inner wall thereof and being sealed at the lower end andformed with peripherally aligned ports in the wall thereof adjacent theupper end, and a sprinkler head having a tubular extension open at thelower end journalled and vertically slidable in said collar andextending into said collar extension and formed with an enlarged lowerend defining an external shoulder in close sliding contact with saidcollar extension below said ports, said sprinkler head extension havinga series of peripherally aligned ports in the Wall thereof above saidexternal shoulder, said internal and external shoulders forming anannular chamber of variable depth between said collar and sprinkler headextensions and water sealed at the top and bottom to provide an upperannulus of moving water forming a lubricating cushion between saidshoulders resisting upward movement of the sprinkler head under pressureof a source connected to said standard, and a lower annulus of waterforming a lubricating cushion between said enlarged lower sprinkler headextension end and said sealed collar extension end resisting under waterpressure in said sprinkler extension downward movement of the sprinklerhead, the disposition of said sprinkler head extension ports andexternal shoulder in relation to said collar extension ports being suchthat on upward movement of said sprinkler head extension the portstherein enter said collar to progressively close off communicationbetween said chamber and sprinkler head reducing pressure within saidsprinkler head to decrease the pressure of said lower lubricatingcushion while the area of said external shoulder in unrestrictedcommunication with said source through said collar extension ports andagainst which said upper lubricating water annulus exerts its pressureremains constant to provide an increasein the effective downward thruston said external shoulder.

MICHAEL JOSEPH HOLMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,432,479 Manu Oct. 17, 19221,977,763 Gordon Oct. 23, 1934 2,336,725 Englehart Dec. 14, 19432,380,101 Englehart July 10, 1945

